Improvement in machines for felting



of vibration of the rocking frame.

UNiTnn `STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLF EICKEMEYER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN T.

WARING, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACH-INES FOR FELTING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 108,12 l, dated October ll, 1870.

To (LZ/f whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I. RUDoLF EICKEMEYER, ot' Yonkers, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in Machinery for Felting FeltCloths; and I do hereby declare that thc following is a full and correct description thereof, reference b'eing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference thereon.

The machine herein described may be used to felt and finish felt-cloths without subsequent fulling, or it may be used simply for hardening.

My invention consists- First, in combining with the felting-cylinder of a i'elting-inachine a concave jigger composed ot' rollers properly roughened or scored to take hold of the felt or hardening cloth.

Second, in an arrangement of a rocking camshaft operated by a lever, in combination with the weighted levers .combined with the jigger, whereby the jigger is relieved from the action of the weights when it is necessary to stop the machine.

Third, in combining with the concave jigger a rocking frame interposed between the pitman of the crank-shaft, which gives motion to the jigger and the links connected with the jigger, the connection with the pitman being made by an arm upon the rocking traine, which is longer than the arms connected with the links measuring from the axis This part of my invention is not limited to a concave jigger of rollers, but is applicable to the plain concave jigger which I have described in a former specification.

Fourth, by giving to the crank a greater throw than required for the jigger, and reducing the throw by means ot' the rocking frame, a very short motion can be given with certainty to the jigger, which, if directly connected with a crank of the required throw, would be more or less uncertain, from the wear of bearings and the spring of the frame of the machine.

Fifth, in combining with the felting-cylinder and concave ,iigger a take-up motion for conducting the felt-cloth from the ielting-cylinder, which take-up motion consists in a ratchet connected with Ythe take-up drum, combined with a pawl operated by a weighted lever, the weighted lever being lifted, as required, by a wiper, as hereinafter described.

Figure l of the drawings represents a front elevation of the machine, Fig. 42 a side elevation, Fig. 3 a plan View, and Fig. 4 a vertical longitudinal section, oi' the saine. Fig. 5 is a detached plan view of one of the rollers of the concave jigger.

Letter a represents the frame of the machine, and b the felting-cylinder, which may be scored with line lines, or may have figures4 or other devices engraved or formed in any manner on its surface. The felting-cylindcr may be heated by steam introduced through the shaft, which may be made hollow for that purpose. A worm, c, upon a shaft, c', gears into a worm-wheel, c?, upon the shaft b' of the felting-cylinder, imparting to it a slow continuous motion.

The jigger consists of a steam box or frame, d, in which a series of roughened or scored rollers, d di d d* d d, are arranged in a concave form corresponding to the cylinder. These rollers are mounted in ixed bearings in the box or frame d, and rotate with the cylinder to advance the cloth during the operation of feltino. Steam is applied beneath the rollers, and the condensed water carried oit by means of the pipes dT d8, opening into the bottom of the steam-box d. The steam-box d, with its concave of rollers, is mounted upon four rocking pillars, c c' c2 c, which are connected with the two weighted levers, f f', by means of two sliding plates, g g', one upon each side of the machine. Arock-shaft, 7i, operated by a hand-lever, h', carries two cams or eccentrics, h2 h3, arranged beneath the weighted levers, so as to lift the weighted ends of the levers and permit the jigger to descend by gravity sufeiently to be released from the felt when for any reason the machine requires to be stopped. The weights upon the levers f f are adjustable, being made to slide on the levers, to which they are secured, when adjusted, by pin ching-screws, as shown in the drawings. The crank-shaft t', which imparts the reciprocating motion tothe jigger, is placed in suitable bearin gs in a supplemental fram e, j, which is attached to 011e of the side frames of the machine, and extends downward to the floor, to

shaft is connected with the jigger-box by a pit- `man, 7c, and links m m', through the intermediate rocking frame, n, the pitman 7:, connecting with the slotted arm a of the rocking frame, and the links connecting with the rocking frame at a a short distance above the bearings p pf, upon which the frame rocks. The effeet of this arrangement is to enable the jigger to be operated withcertainty by a very short positive motion when under great pressure, the variations occasioned by wear of bearings of the crankshaft and the spring ofthe lrame in my former rpatented machine being greatly reduced by reason of thc difference in length of throw of the crank-shaft and the j igger, and by reason ,of the greater stability of the machine, due tothe arrangement of the crank-shaft upon the supplemental frame near the floor.

In this machine the felt is conducted between and from the felling-surfaces by a carrying cloth, q, supported by drums g q2, one at each side of the ielting-cylinder, the carryincloth, with the felt, being drawn from the felting-cylinder and wound upon a drum, r. actuated by atake-up mechanism. Y

The carrying-cloth may bc of suitable material to felt to the back of the felt-cloth, if desired.

For the purpose of stripping the felt-cloth from the roughened surface ofthe feltingcylinder, to which it adheres after the operation of felting or hardening is completed, I have combined with the felting-cylinder a tension take-up mechanism regulatedl by a Weight as follows, viz: The shaft o" of the drum o' has a ratchet-wheel, s, keyed fast toit, which is operated by a pawl, s', upon a lever, s2which lever turns on the shaft. A weight, si, upon one end of `the lever s2, is the force by which the ratchet is actuated to movethe drum upon which the carryingcloth and felt are wound. A click or stay pawl, t, holds the ratchet against the tension of the cloth when the 'which it should befirmlyseciircd. The crankweighted end Aof' the lever is lifted to enable the working-pawl to take a new holdupon the ratchet. The other end of the ratchet-lever is connected with'a vertical rod, u, which has a slot or fork, c, formed in its upper end, embracing a crank-pin or wiper, w, upon the rotating shaft c. The shaft c having'aconstant motion during the operation of the machine,the wiper will always act to lift the weight when required for the operation of the take-up. If desired, a pressure drum or roller may be placed immediately over the drum r and the cloth drawn along by the grip of the rollers instead of being wound upon one of them; but I prefer the mode first described.Y The drum l is furnished with suitable hooks or pins, y, upon which the end ofthe cloth is hooked.

- This machine differs from that described in a former patent granted to John T. l/Varin g, assignee of my invention, in having a constant or continuous felting action not practicable with the use of a plain concave jiggcr.

I claiml. The concave jigger composed of roughencd rollers, in combination with the feltingcylinder of a clting-maehine for felting cloth, Y

substantially as described. A

2. In combination with the concave jigger and the weighted levers, the rocking eamshaft, with its cams and lever, whereby the j igger is relieved from the action of the weights when desired.

8. The combination and arrangement of thel rockin g frameA and connections with the jiggei.' and the crank shaft which imparts motion thereto, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the felting-cylinder,

the take-up mechanism operated by a wiper and regulated by a weight, substantially as described.

R. EICKEMEYER.

Vitncsscs:

M. K. CoUZENs, i Gno. RAYNER. 

